Broken
by prettysupervampz
Summary: Demetria Huxley lived her whole life in the foster system, but quickly leaves for Mystic Falls when her twin sister, Elena Gilbert comes knocking on her door. Soon, Demi gets swept up in the world of the supernatural, while simultaneously starting to fall for a certain raven-haired, blue-eyed Damon Salvatore. And maybe a little bit for the younger Stefan, who Demi knew was complete
1. Prologue

_January 9, 2010_

Demi Huxley lay in bed with a book in her lap, reading intently and blocking out the world. It was a Saturday, and typically she would be on her bike or at the gym, but she felt like taking it easy today. School resumed on Monday and she wanted to take a day to just relax. It was short-lived, however, as a soft knock came to her front door. Little did Demi know that this was her last true moment of normalcy. If it could even be called that.

Demi had been in foster care her whole life, abandoned at a hospital by some blonde-haired nurse that had been wanted for taking several children from hospital nurseries. But no one could identify her. The only reason anyone knew her name was because of a blanket she'd been wrapped in with her name embroidered on the side. Demi didn't mind. Sure, she'd been in a few bad homes. But, she'd also been in a few good ones.

She leaves her room and walks into the spacious living room. This family was one of the more decent ones. "Coming," she calls, brushing a lock of her chestnut hair out of her face and going to the door. She swings it open and instantly freezes, brown eyes going wide. "What..." Before her stood a woman of her same height, same thin figure. And same face... Demi could hardly believe her eyes. She blinks a few times and takes a shaky breath, trying to collect herself.

"Demetria? I'm Elena Gilbert," the woman say. Even their voices were the same. It was uncanny. "I, uh... I just found out about you, about our adoptions. I'm your sister."

Demi opens the door wider to let Elena in, her eyes never leaving her. "It's Demi. Your adoption, you mean," she corrects, a slight disappointment to her voice. Maybe even a twinge of jealousy. "Yeah, I'd assume sister. I didn't even... I didn't know." She closes the door and sits on the sofa, Elena taking the spot next to her and facing her fully.

"I didn't either," Elena confesses. "Not until about a month ago. I've had my aunt digging for details all this time. She said you were taken from the hospital by some nurse."

Demi nods, wringing her hands slightly. She stands and goes to her room, grabbing her old blanket from the top of her closet and bringing it into the living room. She hands the fabric to Elena and sits again. "I was in that when they found me. It's the only thing that truly belongs to me." She looks over Elena, still not believing her eyes. "So you were adopted."

"Yes. My father was a doctor there when we were born. His name is on the birth certificate. He didn't want people asking questions."

Demi creases her brows in confusion. "Why would they?"

"Our mother, Isobel... She just abandoned us. She stayed with my family for a few days and then just suddenly left. Never came back."

Demi just scoffs, standing once more and starting to pace. "This is insane." She looks back at Elena and shakes her head. "Where do you live? Where are we from?"

"Mystic Falls. It's a few hours from here between Lynchburg and Charlottesville. Really small."

"It must be. I've never heard of it."

The two talked for over an hour, the conversation quickly going from uncomfortable and awkward, to somewhat pleasant. Elena told Demi a lot about her life, her family, some of her friends. Demi had some of her own stories to tell, but not as many good ones, and she didn't feel like sharing the bad ones just yet. Just as Elena was finally getting ready to leave, Demi stops her, a plea in her eyes. "Take me with you. Take me with you," she begs, gauging Elena's reaction. "I don't want to stay here and just keep bouncing around the system. Just let me come with you while my foster parents are still away." Elena looks indecisive, nervous.

"Demi, I don't want to get you in any sort of troub-"

"You won't!" Demi assures. "Please. No one's going to come looking for me anyway, and I can help your aunt get her foster license so I can stay with you legitimately. Please, Elena."

Elena hesitates before nodding slightly. "Okay." That one word was enough. Demi goes quickly to her room, grabbing her duffel and shoving in as much of her stuff as she could fit. She didn't have much, so she managed to fit almost all of it into the bag without too much struggle. She returns to the living room, seeing a man standing beside Elena.

Demi frowns, looking the man up and down. "Who is this?"

"Stefan Salvatore," he greets, extending a hand to Demi. But she doesn't take it, awaiting further explanation. "I'm Elena's boyfriend. Came for moral support, really." Demi nods, watching Stefan drop his hand and then looking to Elena. "Let's go."


	2. One

_January 15, 2010_

 _Mystic Falls High School_

A Friday in Mystic Falls. She had managed to survive her first week enrolled in Mystic Falls High School. Demi wasn't quite feeling the Timberwolves spirit yet, but Principal Weber assured her that she'd feel at home soon. Demi doubted that. She'd probably been to three different schools since the start of the school year, and never once had she even bothered to feel at home. Maybe this would be different now that she'd met Elena.

It was just before classes and Elena and Stefan were talking near her locker. Demi starts to approach them, hearing the tail end of the conversation.

"Ooh, that sounds good to me," Stefan says with a smile. "When do we start?

"Start what?" Demi asks as she approaches, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Elena was just telling me that we needed to have a little fun." Elena's blonde friend, Caroline, chose that moment to approach, seeming giddy.

"Let's all do something tonight," Caroline suggest to Elena. "You, me, Stefan, and Matt. I'm thinking nothing huge, just a dinner at the grill maybe a late movie."

"You mean like a double date?"

"Two pair out on a Friday night coupled. Yeah a double date."

Demi laughs and shakes her head, holding her hands up in mock defense. "Count me out. I think I'll just spend some time tonight with Jeremy. Demi disappears down the hall towards her class, wanting to get there a little early so she wouldn't miss a good seat.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully, Demi struggling to hang on in her classes. Transferring schools in the middle of the year was hard, but this wasn't her first time. She knew she could handle it. After school, she found herself reading on the bed in the guest room that she was starting to slowly feel more and more comfortable with. Elena's Aunt Jenna assured Demi that she could decorate the room however she wanted, but Demi didn't plan on it. She didn't like to get too comfortable.

She hears a knock from downstairs followed by Stefan and Elena's voices. After a moment she hears the two leave and the front door closes. Jenna had left earlier to go to the Grill as well, so now it was just Demi and Jeremy in the house. Demi waits until she's sure Stefan and Elena are gone before going downstairs and outside. She pulls the door closed behind her and walks down the stairs and around the side of the house, finding a little nook to sit just under one of the kitchen windows. She pulls a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and a lighter, taking out a cigarette and lighting it before taking a long pull. She leans her head back against the wall and exhales slowly, trying to just relax.

Demi had been on edge since she got here, and she couldn't really explain why. It wasn't like she hadn't been the new girl a hundred times before. Something about this town set her off. She constantly had that chilling feeling of being watched. Demi stays outside for a while, taking her time finishing her cigarette before putting it out and reluctantly going back inside. She goes upstairs and knocks gently on Jeremy's door. She didn't want to bother him, but she was curious to know more about him and Elena.

The two talked for a while, and not long after the sun went down, the doorbell rang. Jeremy goes down the stairs and opens the door, revealing a short, dark-haired girl that looked around their age. "Anna," Jeremy greets, slight shock on his face.

"Surprised?" Anna asks, grinning from ear to ear.

"I thought you and your mom were leaving town."

"Change of plans. Sorry, I thought you'd be psyched."

"No, no, no. I mean...I am. Of course I am."

"Alright then, step aside." Anna finally comes in and glances up the stairwell, giving a small smile to Demi. "Hi, Elena," she greets.

Jeremy sighs. "Actually that's Elena's twin. She just got to town."

Demi waves, giving a small smile. "Demi." She comes down the stairs and extends a hand to Anna. "Nice to meet you."

Anna nods, shaking her hand gently. "You too." Demi makes her way back up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door quietly behind her. She lays on the bed and sighs, just staring up at the ceiling for a moment before reaching over to grab her black journal from the drawer in the nightstand. She opens it and takes out the pen she'd placed inside, thinking a moment before starting to write.

 _"Dear Diary,_

 _"I'm trying to settle in. I really am trying. Part of me is so terrified that I'll be found out and thrown back into another random home. These people here really seem like they care. Jenna, Jeremy... Elena is so kind to me. Almost sickeningly, but I shouldn't complain. At least she went through the trouble of seeking me out._

 _"There's something strange about this town and I can't quite put my finger on it. Often I see some hushed conversations and stares wherever I go. Maybe I'm paranoid. I'm sure it's just because I look like Elena. I found out more details about her parents' crash. I feel bad for her, I do. But some sick part of me is convinced that now she'll understand a little better how I feel._

 _"I'm not the biggest fan of this Stefan guy that Elena's dating. Sure, he's attractive, and he seems nice enough, but something about him unsettles me. He seems dark, and he's far too broody. How can someone brood that much and not have permanent frown lines?_

 _"Jeremy has a friend, Anna, over now. He seemed surprised that she was even in town, mentioning something about Anna and her mom leaving town. I don't know. I'm having a hard enough time keeping up with some of the details of Elena's friend group. There was Caroline, the Sheriff's daughter. She's just a bubbly blonde cheerleader currently dating Matt Donovan, Elena's oldest friend and ex-boyfriend. In fact, tonight Elena, Stefan, Caroline, and Matt are out on a double date._

 _"Then there's Bonnie. I haven't met her yet. Apparently her grandmother died and it hurt Bonnie so much. I do look forward to meeting her, though. From what I've heard, she seems a little more like me. Then there's Tyler, the mayor's son. From what I've heard, he's an ass. I'll make a point to stay away from that one. And apparently Matt had a sister, Vicki, who is off on some drug bender somewhere. At least, that's the story."_

Demi puts her pen down and sighs, glancing out the window at the night sky. As much as she was enjoying the peace, she also was craving the company of others. Maybe Jeremy and Anna wouldn't mind if she joined them. Demi closes her journal and sets them aside, leaving the room and headed downstairs. She hears voices in the kitchen and starts to descend the stairs, stopping just as she's about to turn the corner.

"What's the matter?" Demi hears Jeremy ask. "It's just blood, Anna." Suddenly there is a thud against the fridge and Jeremy groans ever so slightly.

"What are you doing?" Anna exclaims, anger and fear laced in her voice.

"I knew it. Go for it." Demi steps into the kitchen in confusion, widening her eyes at the sight of Anna holding Jeremy's palm to her lips.

"What the hell?" Demi asks, suddenly very defensive. When Anna steps back, Demi felt her fear rise. Anna's face had changed to that of what Demi could only describe as demonic. Veins pulsed beneath her eyes, and the whites of her eyes were now blood red and dark. Blood ran down her lips and Demi could see fangs protruding from beneath her lip. Jenna chose that moment to enter the house, peeking up the stairs and calling for Jeremy.

Jeremy steps just in front of Demi, bloody hand tucked behind his back. "Jenna! Hey, what's uh... what's up?"

"Regret," Jenna confesses with a sigh and a small smile. "Make sure you lock that up."

Jenna goes upstairs and Jeremy and Demi look back in the kitchen, only to find Anna gone and the back door ajar. Demi goes and shuts the door before returning to Jeremy and grabbing his wrist, holding up his bloody hand. "What the fuck just happened?"

Demi keeps to herself the rest of the night, mulling over what she'd seen. She sits cross-legged on her bed, journal open in front of her and pen in her hand. But she couldn't write. She couldn't put into words what she'd witnessed. A vampire? Jeremy had gotten himself tangled up with a vampire? She sighs and closes her journal, setting on the nightstand before getting up and walking to the hallway bathroom. As she is passing Jeremy's room, she stops, hearing Anna's light voice inside.

"I could have killed you," Anna says angrily, although Demi could still hear that trace of fear.

"Yeah, but you didn't," Jeremy says reassuringly. Demi presses her ear to the door, needing to hear where this could go, just in case she needed to step in and protect Jeremy.

"I should have."

"But you didn't."

"How did you know?"

"I knew this girl. Vicki. She was attacked by an animal, a bite to the neck. She started acting crazy, weird, and it seemed like drugs, but then you showed me those articles. And then I saw your face and how it changed the night in the cemetery when I kissed you." Vicki Donovan? Demi muses, brows creased in confusion.

"You know you can't tell anyone, right?"

"Who would believe me?"

"You'd be surprised."

"Why didn't you kill me?"

"I don't know. Maybe I'm a sucker for guys like you."

"Like what?"

"Lost. Why would you confront me about it? Why would you risk it?"

"Because if it was true, maybe it's true about Vicki. And also because...I want you to turn me." Demi tenses at that and backs away from the door, eyes widening ever so slightly. She needed to talk to Elena about this. Demi shakes her head and starts to walk back to her room. She'll think you're crazy. She lays back on the bed and stares up at the ceiling, thinking over what she'd seen, what she'd overheard. She rubs her face and sighs.

"I guess I'll just have to take care of this myself."

 **Not my greatest chapter, but I wanted to go ahead and introduce her to the world of vampires, even if just by a little bit. Review and follow!**


	3. Two

_Evening, January 15, 2010_

 _Gilbert House_

Demi had yet to make it to sleep, the brewing storm keeping her up. She acted all big and bad, but in reality, something as simple as storms frightened her. She'd survived abusive households, bullies, fights, and worse, and never one shed a tear. Never once trembled. But storms? She hated storms. She stands and starts to pace, finally deciding to go downstairs to get a glass of water and try to relax. When she steps into the hall, she spies Elena leaving Jeremy's room.

"Lena," she calls, trying to drop a new nickname in. She scrunches her nose slightly. She didn't like it. "Elena, I need to talk to you." Elena opens her mouth to speak, but Demi was already pulling Elena back into her room. She sits on Elena's bed and bites her lower lip, thinking over how she wanted to approach this. She looks up at Elena and takes a slow breath. "Are there vampires here in Mystic Falls?"

Elena looked like she'd been slapped, and Demi could already tell that she was either absolutely correct, or her sister had no clue what she was talking about. "Has Jeremy been telling you about Jonathan Gilbert's journals? I mean he really has to-"

"Elena," Demi interrupts, rising to her feet and standing just in front of her sister. "The truth. The truth, or I'm going to end up thinking I'm losing my fucking mind." She was breathless. Shaky. She wanted Elena to tell her that it wasn't true, that she was crazy, stressed, something.

"Yes," was all Elena managed. Demi exhales sharply and turns to walk to one of Elena's windows, looking out at the stormy sky. "Demi, there's so much that you don't know. I didn't want to bring you into it. It's such a mess and it's dangerous. I didn't want that for you."

Demi scoffs and rakes a hand through her hair. "How many?" she asks as she turns around to face Elena again. "How many are there?"

"Stefan and his brother, Damon. A girl named Anna, and her mother Pearl. That's it." Demi takes in this information and hesitates before leaving the room, going to her own room and shutting the door behind her, ignoring Elena calling out her name.

 _January 16, 2010_

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

Elena had agreed to let Demi come with her to meet Stefan and Damon, but neither of them could've predicted that things would already have gone south. Stefan was explaining what had happened the night before, when a certain raven-haired man, that she could only assume was Damon, came into the parlor with them. Damon was the only one that hadn't met Demi yet. He does a double take at the sight of her, approaching Demi and Elena quickly.

"You said twin. You never said identical." Damon looks her over, a light smirk on his lips. "Damon Salvatore," he greets, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of Demi's hand. She raises a brow and nods, slowly retracting her hand.

"Demi. Huxley. I understand you're the other Salvatore vampire." Damon raises a brow at her words and looks at Elena.

"You told her?"

"Actually," Demi corrects, "my time here for the last week has made it surprisingly easy to piece together." Not necessarily the truth, but she couldn't just outright say that she saw Anna feeding on Elena's little brother. Damon shrugs and starts to board up the shattered window in the room, while Stefan, Elena, and Demi all watch.

"I say we go to Pearl's," Damon says as he turns to face the three of them, "bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night."

"Yeah. And then what?" Stefan asks, turning away from where Elena stood by the rightmost couch to look at Damon. Demi stands by the fireplace, gazing down into the flames and processing everything she'd learned so far. Truly, she hadn't even begun to know everything, but she had to start somewhere. "We turn to the rest of that house of vampires and say, 'Oops. Sorry?'" Damon shrugs and starts to walk towards them.

"I can't believe you made a deal with her," Elena says with a light scowl.

"It was more like a helpful exchange of information," Damon explains. "And it's not like I had a choice. She's...scary. Besides, she's gonna help me get Katherine back."

"Of course she is. Damon gets what he wants, as usual. No matter who he hurts in the process." Elena was visibly angry and Demi made a mental note to ask about this Katherine woman when there was an actual free moment.

"You don't have to be snarky about it." Damon sits on the leftmost couch, watching Elena as she continues.

"I woke up this morning to learn that all the vampires have been released from the tomb. I've earned snarky."

"Yeah, and how many vampires is that?" Demi interjects, causing Stefan to look her way.

"Twenty-six," Stefan says, almost seeming disheartened. "Twenty-six starving, angry vampires."

"How long are you going to blame me for turning your birth mother into a vampire?" Damon asks Elena with a sigh, causing Demi's eyes to widen.

"I'm not blaming you, Damon. I've accepted the fact that you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities."

"Ouch," was all Damon had to say, and for some reason that one word set her off. Demi steps forward and shakes her head.

"I'm sorry, what?" The three look at her, seeming to remember how clueless she was. "You did what?"

"This isn't being very productive," Stefan says calmly, clearly trying to diffuse the situation. "We're gonna figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the vampires. Yeah? Hmm."

Damon starts to leave the room and enter the library, but Demi follows at his heels. "Oh, no, no, no, I'm not done with you." He sighs and turns to face Demi, who was fuming with rage. It was bizarre to her that she felt such anger about someone hurting the woman who abandoned her, but some part of her had still wanted to believe that there was something redeeming about her mother. She doubted that was the case if she was a vampire. "You turned her?"

Damon nods and smirks lightly. "Mm hmm." The smug look on his face only frustrated her more. She steps closer to Damon and jabs a finger at his chest. "You listen to me. I am terrified. My world was already overturned a week ago in finding out about Elena, and again last night finding out about vampires. Now I find out that you turned my birth mother. Uh-uh. Not gonna fly. You're going to be one of the good ones, like Stefan, or so help me, I will make damn sure I learn everything I need to to put your ass down. Last thing we need is some egotistical vampire strolling the streets of this semi-decent town. I'm liking it here. Don't fuck it up for me."

Damon was clearly shocked by her words. He'd only known the girl a few minutes and already she was threatening him. He wasn't going to stand it. He vamp-speeds and pins her back against the bookshelves. "My turn," he says with a light growl to his tone. "You don't threaten me. Ever. Or so help me, I'll make sure you become the thing I'm seeing you already hate."

Demi angrily shoves Damon off of her, scowling at him. "Don't push me, Damon," she threatens, eyes glimmering with rage.

"Back at ya." They stare each other down for a moment before Demi turns on her heel, storming out of the room and back to Elena, encouraging them to leave.

 _Gilbert House_

Elena walks out of the front living room, picking up her ringing phone as she is about to ascend the stairs. Demi hears her decline the call and she shakes her head. "Damon again?" she asks, peering over the back of the couch to look at her, resting her book down in her lap. Elena nods and takes only two steps up the stairs before a knock on the door causes her to turn around. Demi watches her, rolling her eyes as Damon walks in.

"You're ignoring me," he accuses, looking around as if searching for something. He barely even registers Demi sitting there, clearly lost in thought.

"The 6 missed calls?" Elena asks in an almost snarky tone. "Sorry. My phone is dead."

"Is Stefan here?" It was like he didn't even register Elena's rebuttal.

Demi frowns and sits up, noting the seriousness in Damon's voice. "No. Why? Something wrong?"

Damon pulls out his phone then. "He went out in the woods and didn't come back. I can't get him on his phone. I figured he was here with Elena."

Elena pulls out her phone as well, dialing Stefan. "It's going straight to voice-mail," she says with a frown, causing Demi to finally rise to her feet and approach the two.

"Well, where could he be?" she asks, looking from Elena's grave face to Damon's.

"You're not going to like what I'm thinking," Damon says, looking between the twins.

 _Woods_

Elena looks around from where she sits in the passenger seat of Damon's car, clearly anxious. Demi couldn't blame her. She'd be worried too if the situation were reversed. Of course, Demi couldn't truly understand. She'd never taken the time to have a real relationship. What was the point? With as often as she had bounced around homes, there was no reason to make friends or date. Sure, she'd slept around a bit, but that was the furthest she'd gone in any sort of relationship.

Damon starts to approach the car and the twins immediately jump out, Elena taking the umbrella and Demi just opting for the rain. It wasn't like she wore enough makeup for it to smudge anyway, and what harm did some water do.

"What happened? Where is he?" Elena asks hurriedly. Demi could tell she was hoping he wasn't inside.

"They have him," Damon says, shaking his head. "I can't get in."

Demi creases her brows in confusion. "Why not?"

"Because the woman who owns the house is compelled to not let me in."

"I can get in," Elena offers after a moment, trying to walk past Damon, who immediately stops her, grabbing her arms and moving her to stand in front of him again.

"You're not going in there."

"I'm going!"

"You're not going in there."

"Why are they doing this?" Demi pipes up, trying to understand the situation. "What do they want with him?"

"Revenge, Demi. They want revenge."

"We gotta do something," Elena says, a panic to her voice.

"I know."

"We can't let them hurt him. We gotta get him out of there."

"I know. Elena," Damon grabs either side of Elena's head to make her look at him, his deep blue eyes a mixture of sympathy and even a hint of fear. "I know. But I don't know how to get him out."

 _Woods_

Demi had decided to sit out the conversation with the history teacher Alaric Saltzman. She was overwhelmed. When she heard that the teacher-slash-vampire hunter was going to help, she was beyond relieved. Thank god someone here knew what to do. She couldn't put all her trust in Damon Salvatore. Not just yet. She sits with Elena, her in the driver's seat and Demi in the passenger seat. Both were silent a while, mulling over the events of the day.

"Elena," she starts with a sigh. "Look, I can't begin to understand what you're feeling right now. I've never had... whatever it is that you and Stefan have. But you do know that they're right... right?" Elena stays quiet, looking out the windows for any sign of the three men. "Elena, please talk to me."

Elena takes a deep breath before finally starting to speak. "The night my parents car went off Wickery Bridge... Stefan was there. He saved my life. He dove straight in the water and pulled me out of the car. He couldn't save my parents but..." She sighs and looks at Demi finally. "I owe him my life. It's worth the risk to save his."

Demi nods and wrings her hands, looking down at them and closing her eyes for a moment, opening them again before she spoke. "I lived in Richmond for a little over a year back when I was about 15. I lived on the poor side of town with this really shitty foster family. School was my refuge. There was this girl in my English class, Jamie. She was kind and funny and always knew how to make me smile. She was the only true friend I've ever had. Two months before I moved to a new home, Jamie went missing. It wasn't uncommon necessarily for someone in the poor side of town to just disappear. Everyone said she'd skipped town, but I knew better. She'd always been a good person. She tried so hard in school and was so well-behaved at home.

"Two weeks later... The police found her body in some drug dealer's trailer. She had a single bullet hole in between her eyes." Demi takes a slow breath and looks up at Elena. "I never could open myself up again after that. I couldn't... I can't risk losing somebody else that matters to me. So, I understand that Stefan is that important to you. Probably more. But please... Remember that you're just as important to him. If you get hurt or, God forbid, killed... It would destroy him, Elena."

Elena takes a syringe out of her purse, looking it over. "This is filled with enough vervain to take down a vampire. It hurts them. Weakens them. If I can just get in, I could-." The girls both let out startled gasps as a large tree branch suddenly falls on the hood of the car. "That's it," she says once she calms down, jumping out of the car. Demi widens her eyes and follows suit, following her.

Elena jumps onto the porch, Demi not far behind. They press their backs to the exterior wall to keep hidden. They start to move, just hide again at the sound of a voice.

"Billy, Jacob, get back in here." Elena waits a moment before running past the front door and down the staircase towards a cellar. Just as Demi is about to pass the door, she hears it open, and someone snatches her inside, placing a hand over her mouth as she screams. Almost instantly she feels pain radiate through her neck as fangs pierce her flesh. All too quickly, she falls to the floor, loosing consciousness.

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

When Demi came to, she found herself lying on a large, unfamiliar bed. Normally, she would've been afraid, but she was far too weak and disoriented to feel much of anything right away. She looks over to the doorway, seeing Damon standing there, leaning against the wood. "You're awake," he observes, walking over to the bed and sitting down on the edge. "How you feeling?" His brows were creased in what Demi could almost believe was worry. She just laughs softly.

"Suddenly he cares," she says quietly, trying to sit up but only succeeding in sending pain throughout her body. She whimpers and Damon gently pushes her back down.

"Oh, you're definitely Elena's sister, alright," he says with a small smile. "You could've died, you know." Demi nods and brings a hand up to her neck, pulling it away and frowning at the red that coated her finger.

"Yeah, well, I was trying to stop Elena from being so damn reckless." Suddenly, she remembers the whole reason they'd been there. "Stefan. Did you guys get him? Is he okay?" Damon nods, seeming almost a little put off at the mention of Stefan.

"He's... He'll be alright. He just needs a chance to heal." Demi nods as well and relaxes into the bed, keeping her eyes trained on Damon.

"I have to admit, I'm surprised you actually came back for me. I figured you'd just leave me for dead." Damon just scoffs and Demi raises a brow. "What? You seem like the kind of guy to do that."

"Well, I'm not," he snaps quickly, causing Demi to widen her eyes slightly, muttering a soft apology under her breath. "If you tell anybody this, I'll deny it. But believe it or not, I do actually care about Elena and her family. You're her family. Therefore, I care about you."

Demi just shakes her head. "You wouldn't if you really knew me. I'm not a good person, Damon. I just don't let anybody see it."

Damon stays silent before looking over her wound with a frown. "Elena was worried about me healing you, but it'll make things a lot easier for all of us." Demi half-shrugs. She just wanted out of this damn bed.

"It's fine. Do it." Damon nods and pulls up his sleeve, biting into his wrist. Demi cringes a little at the sight and hesitates before bringing his wrist to her lips. She drinks just a little, but he doesn't pull away, encouraging her to take just a little more. She pulls away the moment she feels him stroking her hair, furrowing her brows in confusion and wiping the blood off of her lips. "Thank you." She presses a hand to her neck once more, finding the wound rapidly closing up. She shakes her head in disbelief. "It's so amazing." She looks up at Damon, who was staring at her intently. Demi clears her throat and stands, straightening her rumpled clothes. "S-So, I'm gonna go," she says quietly, swallowing the lump forming in her throat. Why was she suddenly so nervous around him?

Damon shakes his head. "We have a few extra bedrooms. Just take one of those for the night. The roads aren't safe and you don't exactly have a car. To my knowledge anyway."

Demi nods and smiles softly, leaning forward to press a gentle cheek to Damon's cheek. "Thank you." She turns and leaves the room quickly, finding an empty bedroom to sleep in for the night.

 **Okay so suuuuuper long chapter, but I'm so proud of myself!**

 **I hope you enjoyed this one. I'm glad I had a chance to have some true Demi interactions with the characters.**

 **Leave a comment and tell me what you think!**


	4. Three

_January 17, 2010_

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

Demi had slept uncomfortably during the night, tossing and turning every so often and musing over the events of the night. By the time 6 AM rolled around, she'd decided to give up on sleep, getting out of the bed she'd borrowed and straightening the sheets and pillows once more. She goes to the connected bathroom and steps in to the shower, bathing quickly before getting out and dressing in her clothes from the day before. She knew she'd have to explain to Jenna why there was blood on her shirt, but she was sure she could come up with some sort of explanation.

Demi makes her way downstairs as quietly as she could, and decides to do something nice in return for Damon saving her. She goes into the kitchen, quickly finding everything she needed before starting to make breakfast. Going through some bad homes meant she had to take the time to learn how to take care of herself, so there wasn't much she didn't know how to do. And honestly, she loved cooking.

She puts on music at a somewhat low volume, swaying her hips as she starts the eggs. She hums along to the music, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She felt like it had been too long since she'd really had the chance to relax and be happy. Or at least comfortable. Demi turns to place the eggs on a plate, jumping as she finds Damon sitting at the island just staring at her.

"No, please," he insists with a smile. "Continue. Don't mind me at all." Demi rolls her eyes and turns to start on the bacon, quickly turning down her music but not shutting it off completely.

"Stare all you want, Damon. It won't make me like you." Damon gasps and feigns hurt, placing a hand on his chest.

"You wound me, Demi. Truly." Demi rolls her eyes and starts to plate the bacon, handing Damon his plate before starting to clean up. "I'll take care of that. Just come sit. Eat." She shrugs and sets the dishes in the sink, plopping down on one of the stools, with one separating the two of them. Damon just chuckles and moves to sit beside her. "I'm surprised you didn't just leave."

Demi shrugs. "You saved my life and offered for me to stay the night. The least I could do was make breakfast." She takes a bite of her eggs and stays silent a moment before finally looking at Damon. "Thank you, by the way. And now, maybe, I can sneak in the house without catching Jenna. If she sees this blood, she's going to have a lot of questions I can't answer."

Damon thinks a moment. "Well there may be something of Elena's here that you can wear for now, and maybe I can go with you to the mall for a few new things."

Demi smiles awkwardly. "I appreciate looking for Elena's clothes, but I don't know about an outing. I think I'll just go on my own."

Damon shrugs one shoulder. "C'mon. What's the harm?"

 _River Ridge Mall, Lynchburg_

Damon had convinced Demi to let him come along, and here she was trying on a few things she wanted. She was only going to get one or two things, but Damon had insisted that she get whatever she wanted and he'd cover it all. Of course, Demi know that that meant he would compel the cashier to give her the items for free, but she wouldn't complain. She needed more clothes anyway. She couldn't wear the same four outfits for the rest of her life, and that was all of the clothes she had to her name.

Demi steps out in a very flattering outfit: a tight fitting red tank top and black leather jacket, with black skinny jeans. She wore black booties with buckles up the side and black fingerless gloves.

"Last one. What do you think?" Demi asks, causing Damon to look at her, eyes widening ever so slightly. She couldn't help but blush at his reaction, smiling and dramatically modelling for him. "Vogue worthy?" she teases.

Damon stands and nods, twirling her around to get a good look at her. "It definitely suits you." He walks with her to the register with the rest of her clothes, letting the cashier ring them up before Damon places some cash on the counter and leaves with Demi. The two split the bags, and Demi starts to remove the tags from her clothes.

"I appreciate you doing this for me, Damon. Really." She runs her free hand through her hair and looks around at the other stores. "It's not like anyone else would do this," she murmurs quietly, causing Damon to stop her in her tracks.

"Don't say that," he says, eyebrows creased almost in pity. Demi hated that look. "I told you I care about you. So does Elena. And I'm sure Stefan does too, in his own way."

Demi shrugs a little and sits on a bench near a fountain in the center of the mall. "It's just that... I've never had anyone do something like that for me."

Damon sits next to her and shakes his head. "Demi, I find that extremely hard to believe. Why wouldn't anyone do something nice for you?"

Demi just laughs, hurt in her eyes. "Maybe because I've always been the screwed up foster kid that nobody wants." She stands in frustration, starting to walk away. She didn't want more pity. Not from him. God, not from him.

"Demi!" Damon calls out, quickly rising to his feet and following her. He stops her and turns her around, a frown on his face. It didn't suit his handsome features. It almost broke Demi's heart. "I didn't know."

Demi shrugs and looks away, not wanting to see his face. "How could you know? I asked Elena not to talk about it to anyone."

"Why?" He sounded genuinely curious, and maybe even a little concerned.

"Because," she snaps, looking back at him with tears brimming in her eyes. "I wanted to avoid the exact look you're giving me now. I don't want your pity. Ever. Yes, I'm a foster kid. Yes, I'm screwed up. Yes, I've had a bunch of shitty homes and a really shitty life. But I don't want your pity. I've survived this long, and I'll keep surviving." Demi looks at him briefly, trembling ever so slightly, having gotten herself worked up.

Damon nods. "Okay. No pity." He offers a small smile and takes the rest of the bags from her before nodding around to the other stores. "What else? Makeup? Maybe some decorations for your room? I overheard Elena talking to Stefan about how you weren't really getting comfortable with them in your room."

Demi takes a slow breath, thinking for a moment before finally caving in. "Maybe just a few things."

 _Gilbert House_

Demi and Damon finally made it back to the house and set her new things downstairs in the kitchen until they'd finished in her bedroom. They ended up buying over twenty bags of things and a few cans of paint for her room. She agreed to let Damon help her paint, so once he and Jeremy finished moving the furniture out of her room, she and Damon laid out plastic on the floor and she changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants before getting ready to paint.

She was actually really enjoying Damon's company and found herself surprised that Elena could dislike him at all. The two laughed and joked as they painted, Demi at one point accidentally getting paint on Damon. He looks at her mischievously and Demi raises her brush up in defense. "No!" She squeals as Damon slides his paintbrush down her cheek and shirt, streaking blue in it's path. "I'm gonna get you for this!"

Demi chases him around playfully a moment before he decides to take the other hand, taking her hand and vamp-speeding so he stood with her pinned against the wall. Above her head, he had pinned the hand holding the paintbrush, and the other hand he held up as well. And there they stood, inches from each other, Demi completely at his disposal, for him to do whatever he wanted to with. She wondered if things would've escalated, but didn't have a chance to find out before they heard someone clear their throat from the doorway. Elena. Damon releases Demi, taking a step back but never taking his eyes off of her. Demi could feel her cheeks growing more red by the second.

Demi looks over to where Elena stood, and smiles. "We're almost done. Just gotta finish this wall and let everything dry. Sorry that the furniture is cluttering the house."

Elena shakes her head. "It's fine. I just heard you and wanted to make sure you were alright."

Demi nods and glances at Damon, who was still watching her intently. "Yeah. This ass just got a little too cocky with the paintbrush." He rolls his eyes and Demi looks back at Elena. "Did you want to help?"

"I would, but I'm actually headed over to see Stefan. Check on him. He went through a lot yesterday, and with him drinking my blood-"

"Wait." Demi puts up a finger to silence her. "Why didn't I know about this? Isn't he on the whole animal blood diet thing?" Elena and Damon both nod and Demi sighs. "Yeah, go check on him. Let me know how he's doing." Elena nods and leaves, and Demi couldn't help but noticed that Damon seemed almost jealous of her concern for Stefan. She turns to look at Damon and sighs. "I guess we should finish up, huh?"

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

Demi and Damon had gone back to the boarding house to check on Stefan and Elena, who were alone in Stefan's room. And Demi could only imagine what they were doing alone. She shudders a little at the thought and goes into the library to pour herself a glass of Damon's bourbon. He looked ready to object, but holds back, simply fixing one for himself as well.

"I had fun today," he admits, sitting in one of the armchairs and propping his feet up on the ottoman. Demi sits on the couch, leaning back against the armrest and facing Damon.

"I did too. And thank you. Again. I think this is a first for me." She smiles and takes a drink of her bourbon, scrunching her nose up a little at the taste before taking another sip.

"Which part? The shopping or the flirting?" Damon asks teasingly with a wink. Demi just rolls her eyes at him.

"You're incorrigible." Damon raises a brow at her word choice but doesn't object. Demi quickly finishes her drink and decides to bring up something that had been on her mind since yesterday. "Who's Katherine?"

Damon lets out a sigh and sips his own drink before looking to Demi. "You and Elena are her doppelgängers."

Demi creases her brows. "Wait. So you're telling me that there's another person walking around with my face?" She stands and goes to fix herself another drink.

"Well, she's not just around. I was under the impression she was in the tomb with the other vampires, but we found out she wasn't. Apparently she was never there." Demi turns to look at him with a frown. She could tell he was hurt.

"She abandoned you, didn't she?"

Damon looks away, taking another sip of his drink. "She convinced me and Stefan that she actually loved us. We're vampires because of her."

Demi nods and walks back to the couch, sitting again and sipping her drink. "I'm sorry to hear that." She looks over the back of the couch at all of the bookshelves. "I've never had anyone that I loved. Not anymore than a friend." She closes her eyes at the thought. Her death still broke her heart. She takes a slow breath before opening her eyes again, finding Damon sitting across from her. "Don't, Damon," she pleads quietly, her breaths a little more uneven.

Damon moves a little closer to her, brows creased. "Why not? I mean, after today I thought we were getting somewhere." He keeps moving until he has her nearly pinned to the arm of the couch. Demi starts to object, stopping the moment his lips brush hers. She melts into the cushions, kissing back deeply and bringing a hand to his cheek.

After a moment though, she pulls away, pulling from under him and taking several steps back. "I can't, Damon. I-I'm sorry..." She grabs her jacket and sets her drink down, rushing down the hall and towards the door. She gasps as he vamp-speeds in front of her, his face filled with confusion.

"Alright, I'm lost. You try to push me away, kiss me back, and now you're running? What's going on?" Demi looks down at her hands, letting herself grow harder. More firm. More closed off.

"Damon, don't do this."

"Demi, talk to m-."

"STOP!" Demi shouts, finally looking up at Damon with tears in her eyes. She breathes heavily and shakes her head, pushing past him and out the door.

 **Shorter chapter, but I wanted to do one or two with Demi interacting with the characters since in the show's timeline, the next episode doesn't occur until 14 days after they rescued Stefan. I think I'm just gonna do one more with Demi and the others. Two max.**

 **Comment your thoughts!**


	5. Four

**So I want to give a brief warning before I start this chapter. This chapter doesn't go into too much detail, but it does bring up a topic that some may find triggering. I just wanted to put that out there so that no one is taken by surprise as they read.**

 _January 19, 2010_

 _Gilbert House_

Demi had spent the last two days not leaving the house, spending her time either writing in her journal, reading, or napping. And today, Elena had come into her room, clearly worried about her. Why wouldn't she be worried? Demi had spent just one day with Damon, and now she was isolating herself. Elena sits on the edge of Demi's bed, which was now adorned with a deep red and black duvet, with matching red sheets underneath. Something Damon had helped her pick out. She had finally decorated her vanity a little, with the few pictures she did have placed in the mirror. Many of them were of Demi with a blonde, who Elena could only assume was Jamie.

One picture that sat on Demi's journal was of her and a red-haired man kissing, the largest and stupidest grin on Demi's lips. Elena smiles only for a moment before looking over to where Demi lay curled up in bed, not sleeping. Just lying there. Silent. "Who is he?" Elena decides to risk asking, offering up the picture to show who she meant.

Demi takes the photo and looks it over before tossing it aside on the bed. "No one that matters anymore," she murmurs, her voice slightly breaking from not having spoken in two entire days.

"He broke your heart," Elena guesses, correctly, lying down beside Demi and staring up at the ceiling. Demi takes a deep breath and nods, pulling the covers up closer to her face. "Did Damon do something?"

Demi sighs and turns over, finally facing Elena. "He kissed me." Elena raises her brows in surprise, turning onto her side as well so that she could fully see her sister.

"And?"

"And nothing. I kissed him back, realized it was stupid, and left." Demi turns on her back, taking her turn to stare at the ceiling. "He was charming. All day. He was kind and funny and playful and I realized that he's not the monster everyone makes him out to be. And then he kissed me." She looks over at her sister, tears brimming in her eyes. "And I liked it. But, I-I can't do a relationship or whatever he wants. I can't do that to him and I definitely can't do that to myself. Not again."

Elena frowns and props up on her arm. "What happened? With the guy in the photo?"

"Quinn. His name's Quinn. About two days before Jamie went missing, I found out he'd been cheating on me with her. For two months. I confronted him about it and he was furious. He wasn't a good guy, by any means, so my challenging him made him aggressive. He... He said that I was a prude for not sleeping with him. That that was why he sought out Jamie. He said he wouldn't have cheated if I'd just slept with him." Demi closes her eyes, trying to fight back the sobs that threatened to emerge.

"After what happened that night, I grew up. I shut everybody out. I learned not to trust. Because trust gets you hurt. Trust gets you pinned down to a bed you never wanted to be in." She could hear Elena take in a sharp breath, and Demi turns to look at her. "I'll tell you like I told Damon: I don't want your pity. I don't want anyone's pity." She looks back at the ceiling and starts to fidget with her hands, thinking over the events that had taken place with Quinn. "He's the drug dealer that killed Jamie."

Demi looks at Elena once more, tears finally rolling down her cheeks. "He killed my best friend, and some sick, twisted part of me still loved him. Despite the murder, despite the... what he did to me. I was his." She takes a deep breath to try and calm herself. "When the police found Jamie's body, I was wrecked. I drank until I couldn't see straight, and got high on whatever I could get my hands on... And then two days later, I had a miscarriage. I didn't even know I was pregnant."

Elena places a hand on Demi's shoulder, both of them on the verge of breaking down. "I was fifteen, Elena. And I couldn't hate. And some part of me still loves him, and I can't have any sort of relationship with Damon. I can't let him in. I can't let him see me." With those words, Elena immediately pulls Demi into her arms, and the twin couldn't stop the flood of tears. She felt herself breaking down in Elena's arms. It was the first time she'd truly opened up about what she'd gone through, and it felt so relieving for someone else to know.

She pulls away from Elena and sits up, trying to regain her composure. "Don't tell Damon. I don't want him to know. He'd never look at me the same."

Elena sits up as well, a light frown on her face. "Demi, if he cares about you at all, which it seems like he does... He won't judge you. But... I won't tell him. But, Demi, you have to talk to him eventually. Him not knowing will only hurt him."

Demi nods and wipes her eyes before giving Elena one last embrace.

 _ ***Elena's POV***_

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

Elena would keep her promise. She wouldn't tell Damon. But she did plan on talking with him. If he was going to continue to pursue her sister, then she needed to establish some ground rules, boundaries for the two. Without explaining why. It would be a challenge, but she knew Demi would be grateful. She steps into the boarding house, glancing around for the older Salvatore, and approaching him when she spots him on one of the couches in the living room.

"Stefan isn't here," he says simply, glancing back at Elena. "He's been on this big health kick thing ever since you gave him your blood."

"I'm not here for Stefan," she says calmly, taking a seat on the opposite couch. "I talked to Demi."

Damon raises a brow and takes a sip of his drink. "Not interested. She made it very clear how she felt."

Elena just rolls her eyes. "Don't act like you don't care. She told me what happened between you two. But she also told me about her last relationship."

"Not interested," he repeats in a sing-songy voice, about to take another sip before Elena suddenly takes his glass away. He stands in frustration and takes the drink back, downing it quickly before setting the glass aside.

"She cares about you too, Damon. She just... She's afraid of opening up. Alright, her last boyfriend screwed her over and she's... She's scared Damon." He looked like he'd been slapped in the face, but he stays silent, waiting to hear all of what Elena had to say. "Just don't give up on her. If she's who you want to go after, then go for it. Just take it slow. For example: kissing her is probably not at the top of the list of things to do. It'll scare her off. Talk to her. Get her comfortable with you. Once she opens up to you, she'll be able to really have a good relationship with you. I know patience isn't exactly what you're known for, but just try. Okay?"

 _ ***Demi's POV***_

 _January 20, 2010_

 _Mystic Falls High School_

Matt had been given the week off of school given his sister's death. Demi was surprised at the news, expecting to have heard about it from Elena or Jeremy. But apparently Jeremy wasn't talking much either, and Elena didn't want to burden Demi when she was already down. Her missing two days of school this week, and deciding to come back on a Wednesday, when she was already behind in her classes... Bad choice. Her teachers weren't cutting her slack, and Demi couldn't just outright say: "I'm sorry I missed earlier this week, but I was too busy moping over the vampire that kissed me the day after he saved my life from other vampires. My bad."

Demi was grateful when the final bell rang, and as she was leaving her class, she found herself running into the bubbly blonde that she'd yet to spend much time with. "God! Caroline, I'm so sorry." She kneels down to pick up Caroline's fallen books and offers them to her. "How's Matt doing?"

Caroline runs a hand through her hair. "He just lost his sister. He's... getting by. He and his mom are spending more time together, so that's always good."

Demi nods and smiles sympathetically. "And how are you? I heard you... found her. You handling okay?"

Caroline takes a deep breath and nods before shaking her head slightly. "Not really. I just... I keep dreaming about it. Makes it a little hard to sleep."

"Well if you need anything, I'm here. We can talk. You can... tell me about you and Elena. Your friendship. Anything. Or maybe we could study? Trig's kicking my ass and from what I understand, Mrs. Halpern isn't exactly known for being lenient."

Caroline laughs and nods. "I would but... You know what? Sure. We can head over to my place and study or something. My mom's working, as usual so we may even be able to sneak into the liquor cabinet."

"That sounds great," Demi says with a small laugh of her own. "Lead the way."

 _January 23, 2010_

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

Elena encouraged Demi to go to see Damon again. "It's been almost a week. You can't avoid him forever." Demi shakes her head as she approaches the boarding house. I could certainly have tried, she muses to herself. She hesitantly walks in, wrapping her arms around herself and glancing around in search of Damon. Not seeing him at first, she decides it may be best to just leave. She could tell Elena she'd tried and maybe Elena would drop the topic.

"Stefan's upstairs," she hears a familiar voice say, causing her to stop in her tracks. Demi turns to look at Damon and lets her hands fall to her sides. "Demi. Sorry, I, uh, I thought you were Elena."

Demi shrugs a little. "No big. It's been happening to me since I stepped foot in this town. Maybe at some point people will start to be able to tell the difference between us."

"So what brings you by?" Damon asks, trying to appear nonchalant. He starts to walk into the living room, Demi following a small distance behind him.

"Honestly? Elena encouraged me. Said I should talk to you." Demi hugs herself once more and leans slightly against one of the bookshelves. "I don't know if I should and I don't know what to say to you. I don't know you. Not really. All I have is what other people tell me, and not much of what I hear is good, Damon."

"And you, what? You want me to just pour out my heart to you? Give you my whole life story and be completely okay with you not telling me anything? Elena told me you had some bad relationship or something? While you made it seem like you've never dated anyone in your life."

Demi sighs and throws up her hands, starting to walk towards Damon. "Because I don't want you to hate the person that I am, Damon! Because I don't want you to look at me as damaged and just throw me aside!"

"Damaged? Demi, I care about you. I keep trying to tell you that! I don't care what you've done in the past! Do you think I'm a saint? No! We're all screwed up! But at least I'm honest about it!"

Demi had had enough. "So let me ask you something. You think you know me right?"

Damon crosses his arm, a scowl finding it's way on that all too handsome face. It didn't suit him. "No, actually. I don't. Because you won't fucking talk to me!"

"Fine!" Demi exclaims, tears springing to her eyes. She hated being an emotional teenage girl. It was very frustrating. It was like she couldn't have a single conversation without looking ready to break down. "You want to know more about me? Which part? The abusive family I had when I was eight, the rape, or my stripping days? Take your pick!"

Suddenly his face changes, his scowl immediately falling. A look of concern crosses his features instead, forehead creasing ever so slightly and those big blue eyes staring at her with... pity. It only made her angrier. "Demi, I-."

"Don't," she threatens, her voice cracking as she speaks. "Don't you fucking dare look at me like that." Demi turns on her heel and starts to walk out.

"Demi," Damon calls, a twinge of hurt in his voice. "Demi, stop. Demetria!"

Demi quickly turns around, a newfound fury in her eyes. "Don't call me that. You have no fucking right t-." And suddenly, she was cut off as quickly as she had done to him only moments before. Only this time, she was interrupted by his lips on hers. Again. Part of her was furious that he had thought this would help, but another part of her was relieved. It was like he was proving wrong her biggest fear. He wasn't judging her. He didn't hate her. If anything, he was caring more now that he knew. This kiss was somehow more gentle than the last one they'd shared.

Damon slowly pulls away, looking down at her intensely and clearly waiting for her to speak or move. Something. But all she could do was place her hands on either side of his face, pulling him towards her and meeting his lips once more. The two move backwards against the bookshelf, never once letting their lips separate. He lifts her easily into his arms, rushing with her up the stairs and taking her by surprise. She hadn't yet experienced what it felt like to move that quickly.

In an instant they were in his bedroom, him pinning her to the bed, kissing down her neck. And just that quickly, she felt like she couldn't breathe. "No!" Demi quickly pushes him away, tears suddenly streaming down her cheeks and her whole body shaking. She could feel her panic rising and her lungs tightening as she hyperventilates, taking several steps back. "I-I-I can't. I can't do this, Damon. I can't." She falls slowly down to her knees, not even registering Damon immediately at her side. He places a hand on her shoulder, not daring to do much else in case she couldn't handle it.

"Hey, hey, hey," he says softly, his voice calm and gentle. "It's okay. You're safe. I promise. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you." Demi takes a few shuddering breaths, trying and failing to calm herself. Damon tilts her chin up so he could look at her. "You're safe," he repeats, his eyes dilating and never leaving hers.

And every single inch of panic she felt quickly dissipated, her voice unwilling and almost robotically responding to his words: "I'm safe." Damon brings her gently into his arms and she breaks down, sobbing heavily into his shoulder.

At some point she had fallen asleep in his arms, and he'd taken her to the bedroom she'd slept in after the attack the week before. When she wakes, it was dark outside, and something told her it was extremely late. And there he was. Right at her side. Watching her with concern spread all over his face. She was sure it had been a first for him, watching someone break like that. She pulls the covers up close to her face, blushing deeply in embarrassment.

"It's okay, Demi. You don't have to hide." Demi just nods, finally pulling the covers over her face.

"I didn't mean for that to happen," she murmurs through the covers before peeking her eyes out to look at him. "I didn't want you to see that."

Damon shakes his head, slowly pulling the covers away from her face and stroking her cheek. "You don't have to hide, Demi. Not from me."

 **So I know I touched on some things that are a little unconventional for most fanfictions, but that's part of why I did it. I wanted Demi to be unique, not a copy of other characters in other stories. But I didn't want her to have some perfect past either.**

 **Comment you thoughts!**


	6. Five

**I finally have a Damon and Demi moment! It's at the end if any of you decide to skip ahead, although it isn't extremely explicit haha**

 _January 24, 2010_

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

When Demi woke, she was alone, and that fact surprisingly broke her heart. A small part of her wanted Damon to still be there. But why would she get her hopes up with everything he saw yesterday, and what little she did tell him? She gets up and peeks out into the hall. Seeing no one there, she decides to risk it, taking the stairs as quickly and quietly as she could before starting towards the front door. She notices Damon in the kitchen and mumbles a curse under her breath before trying to sneak by, almost making it to the door before hearing him.

"Sneaking out? Ouch." Demi sighs and turns to face Damon, who stood with a kitchen rag over his left shoulder.

"Yeah. I, uh... I thought I'd scared you off or... something." She shrugs and starts to turn around but Damon gently takes her hand, stopping her in her tracks. She looks back at him and then at their joined hands, slowly pulling hers away. "Damon..."

"I made breakfast," he interjects, a smile suddenly appearing on his face. "Thought I'd return the favor you granted me once before." Demi opens her mouth to object but he shakes his head. "Not another word until you try my pancakes."

Reluctantly, Demi agrees, following him into the kitchen and sitting at the island, watching him with a raised brow. "I didn't know Damon Salvatore knew his way around a kitchen," she teases.

"Oh, there's a lot you don't know about me," he says with a smirk and a wink, causing Demi to roll her eyes. He hands her a plate with a thick pancake, blueberries as the eyes and smile, and whip cream to form fangs. Demi lets out a laugh, which only makes Damon smile more. "Bon appetit."

 _January 29, 2010_

 _Gilbert Residence_

"Come on Jeremy," Elena calls from downstairs, making Demi smile as she retrieves Elena's thermos from Jenna. "Going to school! Walking out the door now!"

"You forgot this," Demi says, quickly handing Elena the thermos. She gives a small 'Thanks' before Demi opens the door, a man standing there, ready to knock.

"Elena!" the mans says with a bright smile and Demi stifles a laugh before looking back at her twin.

"I'll be in the car," is all she says, trying to avoid another explanation.

"Hold on," Elena tells her before stepping forward so the man could see her. He looks between them with raised brows. "Uncle John!" she greets, almost unenthusiastically. "Hi."

"Jenna," John greets as well, looking to the redhead.

"John," she says, almost as eager to see him as Elena sounded. "You made it."

"I said I'll be here before noon." He steps inside and Demi notices Elena looking more and more stressed.

"Oh what you say and what you do are typically two very different things."

Jeremy comes down the stairs then, and Demi could tell he was still grieving. "Uncle John, what's up?"

"Hey!" John tries to say before Jeremy just pats him on the shoulder and leaves. "I had some business in town," he continues, addressing the three, although his attention waas mainly focused on Elena and Demi. "I thought that a visit was in order."

"How long are you staying?" Elena asks, trying to force a smile.

"I don't know yet."

Those words seem to please her, although it appeared that she didn't really care what John had to say. "Okay, well, I'm gonna go to school, I'll see you later." Elena leaves, with Demi quick to follow, shutting the door behind them.

"Doesn't he know?" she asks, finally deciding to speak again.

"He does. But I don't think anyone told him you were here. And he doesn't come around much anyway."

School was extremely uneventful for her. Just more of sitting through history with Alaric, struggling through Trig, and just trying to get by the rest of the day. She was drowning in her work. Maybe a little less time flirting with Damon, she thinks, and more time studying with Caroline. Now she was home, trying to spend a little more time with the rest of the Gilbert family that she had been so terribly neglecting. Demi, Jeremy, and John sat at the small table in the kitchen, while Jenna stood by the island, all of them with their own box of Chinese food. Chinese was apparently a go-to here. Chinese or pizza. Or both. She didn't mind at all. She'd never much bothered to enjoy eating take out or delivery when she was in any of her old foster homes.

"I've no interest in the Founders' Day Kick-off Party," Jeremy states as he picks at his noodles.

"Sure you do," John says, sipping his drink and setting it down before continuing, "its tradition."

"Far be it for us to break from tradition," Jenna says half sarcastically.

"The Gilberts have been a part of this town for a hundred and fifty years. We're one of the founding families and with that distinction comes certain obligations including going to the party. One day, when you can appreciate the significance, I'll tell you all about your heritage."

"Hmm, the Gilbert family legacy," Jenna muses. "I forgot how sacred it was. I'm not a Gilbert so I was never cool enough to hear it."

"Why does she hate you?" Jeremy asks John.

Without missing a beat, John simply says: "We used to sleep together."

Jenna roughly throws a bag at him, causing Jeremy to jump, eyes wide, and Demi to laugh. "I'm standing right here." The two share a look and Demi shakes her head, deciding to change the subject.

"So, founding family. That's a pretty cool honor." She takes a bite of her lo mein and John nods.

"It is," he says, looking over at her with a small smile. "So tell me about you, Demetria."

"Demi," she quickly corrects, stiffening up a little bit. When Damon had called her that, some small part of her liked it. But no one else. No one. "There's not much to say. Moved around a lot in the foster system. Never really stayed anywhere for longer than six months. Except maybe once or twice. I'm actually helping Jenna get her foster license so I can stay a while."

John creases his brows a bit. "That is curious. Does your social worker know you're here?"

Demi just laughs, shaking her head and taking another bite. "Nope," she says, popping the 'p'. "If she did, I'd be back in Marion."

"Marion," he says, raising his brows slightly. "That's a good, what? Three hours away?"

Demi nods. "Yeah. And, I love it here. I'm not ready to leave just yet."

 _January 30, 2010_

 _Founders' Hall_

Demi actually ended up having something nice to wear to the Founders' Day Kick-off Party, seeing as Elena had offered to let Demi wear any of her dresses until she got a few of her own to wear. Demi wasn't exactly a dress person, so she doubted it wouldn't be any time soon that she invested in them. She had settled on a simple black dress with some sort of criss-crossed fabric over the top, and let her hair fall in its natural waves. Demi wasn't exactly stoked to be going to some stuffy party when she wasn't even a Gilbert, but Jenna (and surprisingly John) insisted, reminding her that she was family to all of them.

She arrived with the Gilberts, but immediately separated, finding the crowd extremely overwhelming. It wasn't too much longer before she saw Stefan and Damon arrive, and once the two split up, she took it upon herself to approach the older Salvatore. "So this is what this town deems a party, huh?"

Damon smirks and looks her over approvingly. "I like this look on you. And the combat boots are a nice touch."

Demi just rolls her eyes. "If I know you at all, the only thing you like about this dress is imagining it on the floor in your bedroom."

Damon raises his brows slightly. "I mean, if we're being honest..."

Demi smacks his arm with her clutch and shakes her head. "Pig," she teases, before laughing a little. "Come on. Why don't you show me around? Introduce me to a few people." She actually enjoyed herself, talking and joking and laughing with Damon. It wasn't often that someone could make her truly laugh, but Damon could. Often. A music change caught their attention and they migrate to the main hall, finding Stefan and Matt's mother, Kelly, dancing among other guests.

Demi watched Damon as he went to talk to Elena. She seemed serious, her eyes never leaving Stefan. But Damon just wouldn't stop smiling, as if his spiraling younger brother was amusing. Demi had noticed the spiral over the last two weeks since he'd had Elena's blood. According to Elena, he hadn't had human blood in an extremely long time, and he was having a rough time controlling his 'cravings'. Demi had to admit, she was worried.

Eventually he leaves, mentioning to Demi that he was going to wander. Demi decides to stick around approaching Elena who was now talking with Jenna. "Are these parties always this busy?"

Jenna smiles and rubs Demi's back gently. "You'll be alright. You have us to shield you from some of the crazy."

The three of them laugh and Elena leans over to Jenna as she notices Alaric. "History teacher three o'clock."

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful," Elena assures. Alaric joins them and Demi excuses herself. There were way too many people. She finally manages to make it outside the front doors, trying to find a private spot. She pulls out her cigarettes from her clutch and lights one, immediately taking a long drag. She was beyond stressed.

By the time she finished her cigarette and put it out, she had mustered up enough courage to go back inside, finding Damon at the bar. She sits next to him and sighs, raking a hand through her chestnut locks. "It's so busy." Damon nods and takes a sip of his drink before offering it to her. She shrugs and takes the glass, downing it quickly before handing it back to Damon. "Thanks."

Elena joins them then, seeming concerned. "Have you noticed what your brother has been up to?" She asks, taking a bite of some snack.

"Nope," he says, turning to face Elena. "Been too preoccupied with yours." Elena looks at him with creased eyebrows then, confused. "Jeremy has been asking questions about Vicki Donovan's death."

"He knows that her death was ruled an overdose."

"Really? 'Oh but sheriff'," he starts, imitating Jeremy, "'someone buried her. Who would do that?' I know I know! Me! I mean I could compel him but he's wearing vervain."

"No," she objects quickly. "I don't want you to compel him."

"If he keeps asking questions..."

"Damon, no I'm serious. I'm not going to do that to him again. I'll handle it."

Damon looks away and sees a small bouquet of roses, taking one. "Okay," he says before smelling the rose and offering it to Elena. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Elena takes the rose and they share a look before Damon walks away, leaving a very confused and somewhat hurt Demi.

Elena opens her mouth to speak, but Demi just shakes her head. "Don't. I think I'm just gonna go home."

"Demi," Elena says sympathetically. "We haven't even had the countdown."

"Suddenly, I'm not interested. I shouldn't even be here anyway. I'm not really a Gilbert. Remember?" Elena looks hurt, but Demi could care less. She storms away, starting to push past Damon before he stops her. "Don't, Damon. I'm not in the mood."

Damon frowns and takes her hand, leading her upstairs and towards the balcony. "Just wait here. I'll be right back." He presses a gentle kiss to her hand and she rolls her eyes. Deciding to stay, she crosses her arms over her chest and leans back against a wall, waiting for him to return.

It isn't long before he returns, and before Demi even gets a chance to speak, he's pulling her into one of the bedrooms and closing the door quietly. She's cut off by his lips on hers, and almost all of her anger dissipates. She wanted this moment to last forever. He pulls away all too quickly and looks down at her, gently stroking her cheek. "I want you. Not Elena. That rose was a peace offering, not a flirt."

Demi blinks a little at his words, wanting to ask more, but he was already leaving. She leans back against the door and rubs her hands over her face, trying to catch her breath.

When she finally makes it downstairs, everyone had gathered in the main room to listen to Mayor Lockwood. "Thank you all, thank you very much, thank you. Thank you all for joining us tonight in just a few moments we will officially begin the countdown to our upcoming Founders' Day celebration and it's a very special one this year. The one hundred and fiftieth birthday of our town." As he pauses, a bell on a table is wheeled in next to him. "And...and I would like to welcome back one of our town favorite's sons to do the honors of ringing our official charter bell. John Gilbert, would you please join me up here?"

There is an applause and John approaches the mayor, shaking hand and looking out at the crowd. "One hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, we look after each other, protect each other." He looks suddenly at Damon then, and Demi couldn't help but follow his gaze to the older Salvatore. "It's good to be home." Everyone applauds and John starts shaking hands with some of the people in the crowd.

She joins Damon and Alaric just as John rings the bell, and she frowns as she sees their serious expressions. "Yeah," Damon starts, aggravation clear in his tone, "and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just came back from the dead five minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?"

"Isobel, my wife," Alaric says, although Demi was still hung up on the fact that John had just been killed.

"Who gave birth to Elena and Demi, under the medical care of the esteemed Dr. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!" They all look at John, who was slowly working his way through the crowd.

"Do you think John knew Isobel?" Alaric asks.

"I think John knows a lot of things."

Damon and Alaric start to follow John as he leaves, although the duo convinced Demi to stay behind. Only for a little while, however. She approaches as John starts to leave, the men watching him go. "So, does Elena know that you decided to kill her uncle? Only to be brought back some fucking magic ring?"

 _Salvatore Boarding House_

Demi had told Jenna she'd be spending the night with Caroline, again, but she couldn't help going back with Damon to the boarding house. He sits on the couch and soon Stefan arrives, so Demi stands. "I'm gonna go upstairs and find somewhere to park it for the night."

Damon frowns but nods. "I'll come find you later?" Demi nods and starts upstairs, wanting to leave the brothers to their awkward alone time. It wasn't too long before Damon came in, finding Demi lying on the bed in the same room she'd been using the few nights that she'd stayed over. "You doing alright? I know tonight was a little crazy."

Demi half shrugs, letting a small smile grace her lips. "Nothing I couldn't handle." Damon sits on the edge of the bed, looking at her with this twinkle in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. "Are you doing alright, Mr. Salvatore," she teases, propping herself up on her arm. He leans towards her, pressing his lips to hers. This kiss was softer than the one they'd shared at the party, but somehow, this was the one that felt more intense.

She leans back, slowly pulling him with her. Demi plays with the edge of his shirt and he pulls away slightly, gazing down at her. "I don't want to overwhelm you," he says, sounding almost worried. Surprisingly, it warmed her heart.

"I want this, Damon," she assures, running her hands slowly over his shoulders. "I just... we just need to take it at little slower pace then I'm sure you're used to."

Damon laughs softly and nods, stroking her cheek ever so slightly. "I can do that." She leans up and kisses him again, this time with a little more passion. She did want this. Him. She just knew they needed to be slow. She didn't want to be a bundle of tears again. He reaches behind her back, easing down her zipper at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Maybe not that slow," she teases. He nods and eases the fabric off of her, tossing it off of the bed. He looks down at her and she spreads her fingers over his chest, trying to feel through the fabric of the shirt. The two gaze for a moment before he reaches up to pull off his shirt, descending on her lips once more. She was like putty at his touch. Sure, she acted all big and bad normally, but this was what she really wanted. To be cherished. Dominated. However he wanted to do things. So long as it was with Damon.

He starts to kiss slowly down her chest and stomach before she pulls him back up, haphazardly stripping off her lacy black bra and panties while slides off his pants and boxers in one swift move. Sex with Damon was something she knew she couldn't top. And she didn't want to. Some small part of her wanted to share his eternity. But she knew she couldn't. She wouldn't. She wouldn't become the thing her birth mother was. The thing that broke Damon while he was human. The thing that turned Stefan into whatever mess he was now. The thing that was destroying this town.

As they lie in each other's arms, Demi tracing slow circles on Damon's chest while he played with her hair, she felt truly happy. With him was when she was the happiest. But this? This was bliss.

 **Yay Dametria sex! I'm choosing Dametria as their ship name because I intend on Damon being like the only person she lets call her by her full name.**

 **So comment your thoughts, suggestions, et cetera!**


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